Hogwarts: The Secret Society - BOOK 5 (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

11: Thestrals

'I'm not going... I don't need the Hospital Wing... I don't want...' stammered Harry.

Professor Tofty was escorting him out of the room as we all watched. We all handed in our papers shortly after and left the hall. I was walking with Ron, Hermione, Nico and Josh when Harry came running towards us.

'Harry! Are you OK? What happened? Are you ill?' asked Hermione.

'Come with me! Quickly! I've got to tell you something!' said Harry.

He led us down the first-floor corridor and into an empty classroom. We were all staring at him in confusion and worry until he finally spoke. When he did, it felt like the floor was falling beneath my feet.

'Voldemort's got Sirius.'

I stared at him in shock and horror.

'How d'you...' someone started.

'Saw it. Just now. When I fell asleep in the exam,' Harry explained.

'But how?' asked Hermione, whose face was white.

'I dunno,' said Harry, 'But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls, and they're at the end of row ninety-seven... He's trying to use Sirius to get whatever it is he wants from there... He's torturing him... Says he'll end by killing him...'

I stood pale faced as Josh grabbed hold of my hand, squeezing it.

'How're we going to get there?' I asked.

'G-get there?' said Ron.

'Get to the Department of Mysteries, so we can rescue my dad!' I said loudly.

'But...'

'What? WHAT?' I said, growing angry at the time wasting.

'Er... Harry... How did Voldemort get into the Ministry without anyone knowing?' asked Hermione.

'How do I know? The question is, how are we going to get in?' replied Harry.

'Think about it... It's five o'clock and the Ministry will be full of workers. How would Voldemort and Sirius get in without being seen... Do you really think the two most wanted men in the world could get into a building full of Aurors undetected?' said Hermione.

'They could have used an Invisibility Cloak or something? And the Department of Mysteries has always been empty whenever I've been...'

'You've only ever been there in your dreams though, Harry!' said Nico, earning a glare from Harry.

'We could go to Umbridge's Office and check to see if Sirius is where he is supposed to be...' said Josh quietly, who knew all about our trip to her office.

'I'll tell Umbridge that Peeves is smashing something up miles away from her! If I see him, I could probably persuade him to actually do it!' said Ron.

'The rest of us can say that there is Garroting Gas down that corridor while Molly and Harry go to see if he's there!' said Nico.

'I'll keep watch in the office while Harry checks...' I said quietly. It was a good idea, provided it didn't waste too much time. If it turned out he was OK, then great. But if he was there and we decided Harry was imagining things, I would never be able to live with myself.

Luna Lovegood and Ginny then appeared and agreed to join. They had heard us down the corridor and had come to investigate.

Harry and I got under the Invisibility Cloak and headed to the office.

'If they see Umbridge coming, they're going to sing 'Weasley is our King',' I told Harry as he fitted a knife into the crack between the door and the wall. The lock clicked, the door opened and we entered the room.

The kittens on the plates were relaxing but, other than that, the office was empty. I breathed a sigh of relief. We were going to manage, it was the home straight from here! We just had to contact Sirius and we'd decide what to do from there.

'I thought she would have added extra security after the second Niffler appeared in her office!' said Harry and I frowned. It did seem out of character.

Harry cried the address as I stood, just out of sight, at the window with my wand out. There was nothing of interest. Everyone was either inside in the cool or out at the lake. But maybe I should have been paying more attention to the classroom than outside...

I suddenly felt strong arms pressing my arms behind me, forcing my hand to let go of my wand. Whoever it was picked the wand up and kept hold of it, turning me so I could see the fireplace. I felt constricted, panicky and tried my hardest to get away. It was to no avail.

Umbridge was dragging Harry out of the fireplace and holding his head back by his hair.

'You think I haven't added extra security after those two Nifflers entered my office? I wasn't about to let some other dirty beast,' she glanced at me, 'enter my office. Take his wand.'

Harry tried to say he was looking for his Firebolt but both he and she knew that it was locked in the Dungeon. I tried to communicate with him, find out if Sirius was alright. He was too concerned with annoying Umbridge though, and I had no idea the outcome.

'Who were you talking to?' she asked.

'No one!' replied Harry.

'LIAR!' cried Umbridge, throwing Harry into the desk.

Malfoy was tossing Harry's wand up into the air and smirking at us both.

Several large Slytherins entered, holding all of our lookouts and Neville. He must have tried to stop them taking someone, but I was no longer listening. I caught the look of despair on Harry's face and knew what it meant. Sirius was at the Department of Mysteries. Voldemort was going to kill him if we didn't get there soon.

When I came back to the world, Snape was in the room but he was about to leave. He was our chance, our saving grace! He could sort things out for us, we could trust him. He was an Order member, for goodness sake.

'He's got Padfoot! He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!' cried Harry desperately.

'What is Padfoot, Snape?' asked Umbridge in annoyance.

'I have no idea,' said Snape coldly, 'Potter, when I want nonsense shouted at me I shall give you a Babbling Beverage. And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little. If Longbottom suffocated it'll mean a lot of tedious paperwork, and I'm afraid I'll have to mention it if you ever apply for a job.'

He closed the door behind him with a snap and I felt like collapsing. Snape had been our last hope. What was difficult to understand about the code? Surely he knew what we meant! Just one little indication that he had understood, would that have been too much to ask for?

I saw Umbridge take out her wand and point it at Harry and Hermione looking shocked but I really didn't care anymore. I had to figure out a way to save Sirius. I saw Harry and Hermione then leading Umbridge out the room and realised I could get my wand if I tried.

I elbowed my captor, a burly Slytherin, in the chin and grabbed my wand from his hand.

'STUPEFY!' I yelled and hit my captor and Nico's, who was standing next to me.

Everyone joined in our little duel but we won and got away safely. The DA had certainly paid off, as the Slytherins were completely unprepared for duelling due to the lack of practical classes we had received over the year. We met Harry and Hermione but saw no Umbridge. Ron explained how we had got away but I was getting more and more agitated and I literally dragged them all away.

They began to have an argument over who could come.

'JUST LET THEM ALL COME! THERE'S NO TIME!' I yelled.

Luna suggested we ride Thestrals, which only Harry, Luna and I could see as we had seen someone die. Although not very happily, everyone agreed and we set off. Josh was on the same one as me and he was holding on for dear life.

I silently wondered if Snape had understood. Maybe he had gone to check straight away? If he had, the Order would know Sirius was gone and would join us at the Ministry in no time, Sirius would be saved easily! I smiled slightly, realising everything would be fine. Snape couldn't have not understood the message, it was clear as day! He would pass it on and everything would be fine.